Bowles, 50, interviewed with the Browns way back on Jan. 3. He succeeded current Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton in the Arizona position in 2013. His interview qualified the Browns for the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate.

He remains a likely finalist for the Minnesota Vikings opening along with Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who has not been listed as a candidate in Cleveland. These are the two final openings in the NFL.

Bowles has had a diverse NFL career mostly focused on the secondary. Prior to Arizona, he was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator for one season. He was an assistant coach in Miami from 2008-2011, including a brief stint as interim head coach. He worked on the Browns secondary from 2001-2004 and was on the Green Bay player personnel staff from 1995-1996.

Earlier on Tuesday, we heard that the Browns are willing to wait until they can interview Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. That appears to be the team’s target as we enter into Week 3 of the search since the firing of one-year head coach Rob Chudzinski.

Jacob Rosen is a long-time contributor to WaitingForNextYear. He's written for the site since his freshman year at the University of Dayton back in spring 2009. Now, Jacob lives in New York City where he works for the sports business startup KORE Software. You can follow him on Twitter at @JacobLRosen .

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I need some schooling. Why would a guy interview and then publicly announce that he is withdrawing his name? Did he suddenly realize he doesn’t want to be a head coach? I don’t see any advantage to doing this.

mgbode

the only thing that I can think is one of three things:

(1) he wanted to get his name in the HC candidate process and is hoping it the buzz of being interviewed for HC gets him more interviews in the future (for better spots)

(2) he was told that he’s not getting the job and his agent told him that this helps him save face because noone will really know which side backed out first.

(3) he interviewed and also asked alot of questions about the structure and how the team wants things to run and disagreed with the philosophies.

Harry

He is withdrawing his name because he doesnt want to work for this team. as time goes on people can see its a disaster. no one wants to be here. people keep withdrawing for that fact. and as time goes on you know the browns will eventually settle for the next sucker who will be in and done in a year. Cleveland is a career death sentence for quarterbacks and coaches.

Ezzie Goldish

4) He thought he had a better shot at the other job and/or wanted it more and felt that showing he was committed to that job as opposed to “any HC slot” would look more dedicated/impressive to them.

Eric G

“Only” thing can’t be “three” things
/grammar police

I agree with #2 in this instance. I’m actually excited to see what the FO does/says when Gase says, “No”.

MrCleaveland

I could be very wrong, but I just don’t buy the line that people don’t want to come here because the front office is so dysfunctional.

There are only 32 of these jobs in the world and if you get a shot at one, you should grab it.

And even if you do get canned, you get a humongous buy-out.

Withdrawing like this might suggest that a guy has a little quit in him or that he really doesn’t want the pressure of being the head coach. I think it looks bad for a guy’s image to drop out.

CB Everett

Dammit you two. Stop with the common sense reasons. The reason is that Lombardi and Banner are terrible and everyone is going to reject us because we are losers–and no one will ever love us and we’re going to die alone 🙁

MrCleaveland

He said “one” of three things.

/Nerd Club

mgbode

if we are lucky, then we might be on a public bus that drives off a bridge. at least we won’t die alone that way (silver linings around all dire circumstances)

🙂

Eric G

On a side note, am I the only one who is adamantly hoping that every newspaper/newssite uses, “Same Old Browns” each week, and each time they make any decision?

Eric G

Candidly

@TheDeePagel

I guess it would be a really, really, short “drive” if Weeden was the bus driver.

@TheDeePagel

With all the links between Haslam and Peyton, is anyone with me in assuming that years down the road, Haslam writes a HUGE check to hire Manning as OC….and then eventually HC?

It would be fun at least.

Stay optimistic….Go Browns.

The_Matt_Of_Akron

Pretty soon we’ll be the only spot left, then the HC candidates will HAVE to do what Joe Banner says. MWAHAAHHAHAHAHAH!!!11!!

/conspiracy

nobody

Only problem with thi is the check would be to Eli Manning.

Toddyus

He strikes me more as the GM/President type…

nj0

Have candidates for the other coaching vacancies withdrawn their names from those searches? I don’t pay enough attention to know.

nj0

And it isn’t just about saving face. If you know you’re not going to get the job, why scare away other suitors by appearing as though you may be headed somewhere else?

nj0

It can work the other way too. Potential employers could see your continued pursuit of another job as a detriment.

“Well, he’s committed to taking the Cleveland job so even if we like him and offer him the position, he could Chip Kelly us”.

If you know you aren’t getting the job, you probably want the rest of the world to know you’re ready to work for them.

I see your side of it too. As with all things employment related, it’s about personal perception.

i truly think the shabby treatment of chud marks berea as uniquely unreasonable and unfair. while it’s true there are only 32 NFL HC gigs, it’s also true that most first time coaches who are fired do not get re-hired as HCs.

i suspect mangini wouldve have traded his buy out for the chance to finish the work he’d started and chud likewise.

i cant tell if youre serious here but in case you are, the coach who looking for the payday above looking to build a winning football team is by definition a poor candidate.

CLE23

most likely, he withdrew his name since he realized he was only interviewed to comply with the rooney rule. If he was a contender for the job then he would know by now.

The_Real_Shamrock

C’mon man it’s the Cleveland Clowns I mean Browns that’s how, why.

The_Real_Shamrock

Of course how what they did with Chudzinski damaged the way this franchise is probably viewed. Not only that but an owner who faces the prospect of being indicted may hurt as well.

The_Real_Shamrock

Manning would go to Indianapolis or worse yet Baltimore.

The_Real_Shamrock

Chudzinski ended up being the 5th choice last year the only thing worse will be when they draft Manziel #4 and he’s the third QB selected overall.

CLE23

no chance either of those are true. chud lost 10 of his last 11 games. and the team was getting worse. he earned his exit. also, regarding haslem’s indictment, he is lawyered up and will just pay a fine. he isn’t too worried about it anymore. the worst is over.

The_Real_Shamrock

Andy Reid should be fired too if you want to believe the Browns front office way of thinking. I’m not arguing the merits of Chud I wasn’t pro Chud but at the same time he got a raw deal.

Being lawyered up isn’t a savior no matter how Jimmy wants to spin things. He paid off all of those customers for a reason the problem was it may have been to late. Regardless he’s running the Browns about as well as he ran his company.

CLE23

andy reid should have been fired, and he was fired from philly when it was clear he couldn’t win with the eagles anymore. the NFL is all about production. chud didn’t produce. the owner is right. the fans deserve better than 4 wins.

The_Real_Shamrock

You can believe everything you are being told that’s your right I simply believe where there is smoke there is fire. There are entirely to many examples, to many illustrations and to many stories to support that this new owner and front office does not know what they are doing. Period.

They are taking the strategy they used a year ago in hiring Chudzinksi and repeating it. If Gase is their choice he’ll hold all the cards come negotiating time. He should make Chud’s contract look like a gift and while he’s at it he should make sure that Banner and Lombardi don’t help him as much as they helped the previous head coach. I.e. trading draft picks for next year, drafting another Mingo, signing free agents like Krueger and trading your starting RB after just two games are just a few examples.

humboldt

I’m surprised and disappointed that you didn’t mention the I-480 bridge by name…

FearTheRoo

Don’t get the thinking behind Adam Gase. Do the Browns not realize his offense was lead my Peyton Manning? I think Manning would make even Pat Shurmur look like an offensive genius.

CLE23

good coaches get fired all the time. the goal of any team is to win the superbowl. short of that, your job is on the line. and for the record, all of the moves listed above, like mingo and trading trich were good moves. none of those moves cost chud a chance to win the jets or jags game. remember, we lost to the jets by a lot. we lost to bengals by a lot. the owner wants a team that wins. I don’t blame him. he is proving that winning is his highest priority. any coach should love that.

simond

Peyton Manning is a TV star!

simond

i hear Rob Chudzinky is still available, maybe we can give that guy an interview

The_Real_Shamrock

It’s late I look forward to discussing this more another time because clearly we have different opinions. We are completely on different sides. All I know is this owner and this front office had a chance to make a great impression a year ago and for whatever reasons failed miserably. They’ll have a second bite at the apple this year. If things don’t get better and aren’t different then I’m sorry the results will speak for themselves. I don’t believe for one solitary single second that what happened a year ago rested solely with Rob Chdzinski. The same Rob Chudzinski who the very same owner & ceo who hired him lauding him as “one of the NFL’s up and coming young offensive minds” fired him not even one year after his hiring.

The_Real_Shamrock

Thank you Constipatius! 😉

Eric G

They wouldn’t even get there. He’d be staring at the water the whole time that he’d hit something else before they got out of the parking lot.

MrCleaveland

I’m very serious, Jim.

I’m not suggesting that anyone who would take the job is looking for the payday. I’m just saying that win or lose, the payday is there. The upside is tremendous. So why not take it?

In this case, win or lose becomes win or win.

As for Mangini, neither of us can say for sure, but if he really wants to coach and build and win, he could. Maybe not in the NFL, but somewhere.

WFNY Links

The '97 All Star Game was in CLE, and the crowd went beserk for him. Unlike Belle, there was nothing but good feelings for him because he didn't have anything to do with not being here. He clearly loved and appreciated the fan response. I always thought that sort of sealed his return.

This.If RG3 shows enough of a spark to allow us not to overreach for a QB, I'd call that a win. Even if we take Trubisky it would be nice next year to have someone to put out there and get killed before we're forced to put him out there to get killed.